liscomb



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet. 1.-

W. s. LISCOMB.

'PHOTOGRAPHERS CHAIR. No. 282,737. Patenteg Aug. 7, 1883.

,(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 'W. s. LISOOMB.

PHOTOGRAPHERS CHAIR. No. 282,737 Patented Aug. 7, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

IVILLIAM S. LISOOMB, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

PH OTOGRAPHERS CHAl R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,737, dated August '7, 1883.

Application filed March 2,1883. (No model.)

- with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

Among the numerous varieties of chairs heretofore devised for various special uses, including such as have been adapted for use in studios and operating-rooms of artists and photographers, I know of none which haye had rigid and unyielding backs or back-rests capable of a vertical adjustment coupled with acapacity for such an angular adjustment as would afford a variable depthof seat from front to rear of the chair; or, in other words,

no chair heretofore known to me has been provided with a rigid and unyielding back or backrest capable of being variably located forward of the rear line of the chair-seat, so as to therebypractically reduce the area of the seat by lessening the distance between the front edge thereof and the vertical plane occupied by the back-rest, the latter at the same time being capable of a corresponding depression toward the surface of the seat.

I am aware that head-rests have heretofore been so constructed as to enable them to be adjusted vertically as well as angularly, and that their head-pads have been pivoted to their standards; but so far as my knowledge extends they are so organized as to be applicable in all cases to chair-backs, and, as hereinafter indicated, anany of them may be applied, if desired, to my rigid back-pad standard, or applied to my back-pad. V

I am also aware that such headrests have had standards composed of slotted plates and clamping-bolts, and also that spring chairbacks with non-pivoted back-pads have here tofore embodied base-blocks in which the spring chair-back standards could be vertically and angularly adjusted; but it is obvious that a photographers chair should have a firm, rigid, or unyielding back in order to assure good results.

describe in my Letters Patent No. 256,711, dated April 18, 1882, a piano-stool back which can be located and adjusted at various points over the seat forward of the base-block; but in a pianostool a spring-back is essential, and that feature is provided for mainly by means of a base-block backed up by a spring, and partly by an additional spring between the back-pad and standard.

It is to be understood that I now make no specific claim to any of the separate devices now shown and. described, nor to any combinations thereof, except theybe constructed and organized substantially as shown and described, so as to serve their purpose in affording a reliable rigid or unyielding back-support for a person occupying a chair provided therewith, and also so that the back-supporting pad can be located in various vertical planes between the front and rear edges of the seat.

' A chair embodying my invention has a backrest pad pivotedto a standard, which is in turn pivoted to the chair-seat, at the rear edge there of, and each of saidpivotal connections is pro.

vided with a clamping or locking device by which the back-rest pad and the standard are locked rigidly together and to the chair, affordingas firm and reliable rearward support as any good chair-back of ordinary construction, and for affording extremes in adjustment the standard and back-pad are vertically adjustable.

My improved chair enables a small child to gracefully occupy a fractional portion of the seat, but to-neverthelcss have a firm and comfortable rearward support, and by a variation in adjustment it can be readily adapted for use by a full-grown person, because the distance between the front edge of the chair and the vertical plane occupied by the back-pad even rearwardly inclined for the largest persons, and in both cases the pad can be made to conform to .the proper rearwand inclination of the body, because said pad is pivotally connected to the standard.

In the use of my chair by a lady, her dress will offer no obstruction to the proper contact tion, but embodying my invention.

of her back with the back-pad, and it therefore cannot prevent a comfortable rearward support, because, although the seat may be fully occupied from front to rear, the back-pad can be moved forward beyond, but above a bustle, and caused to firmly bear against her back without unduly crumpling or disarranging the skirts of her dress.

My chair-seat is also capable of use asa footstool, in which case the back-pad serves as a seat for a small child, thus affording an extraordinary elevation, as is sometimes desirable; and said back-pad can also be covered with drapery to serve as an elevated arm-rest or standard for persons desiring pictures in a standing position, in which case the chair proper serves as a mere base for the standard.

After a full description of several chairs and back-rests of varied construction embodying my improvements, my invention will be specified in the claim hereunto annexed.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side view of a complete 'chair embodying my improvements in their preferred form. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the chair, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively side and rear views of a portion of a chair, a standard, and back-pad modified in construc- Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are respectively a side view and certain details of a chair embodying my invention, illustrating another modification in construction of the connections between the standard and the chair. Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, Sheet 2, illustrate my chair in its various adjustments as if in actual use, as will hereinafter be fully described. 7 p

The chair-seat Aanay be largely varied in form and construction 5 but I prefer that it have a heavy rigid frame, or that it be composed of solid wood, so as to enable the back portions to be reliably secured thereto by bolts or screws. The legs of the chair may be also varied in character; but the chair, as a whole, should be of sufiicient size and strength to ac commodate persons of at least ordinary size and weight.

Iwill first describe the chair shown in Figs. 1 and 2. An important feature is the pivotal base-block, B, which in some form is always an essential element in my chair. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said base-block has an angle plate, a, for obtaining a firm connection, by .means of screws or bolts, to the chair-seat A, and integral with said angle-plate is a heavy ear, I), having a bearing-face on one side thereof, which is radiallyserrated, as at b.

The back standard, 0, as here shown, is composed of two flat bars or plates, 0 c, correspondingly slotted longitudinally. The lower plate, 0, has a circular radially-serrated bear ing-surface on one side, near its lower end, which is coincident to the serrated face I) of the base-block ear I); and said plate has also a hole in the center of its serrated bearing-surface, loosely occupied by a strong thumb-screw,

(1, which is tapped into. and through the heavy ear I), from which description it'will be readily seen that the plate 0 can be inclined forward or backward and firmly clamped, the coincident serrations contributing to a firm and rigid connection between said plate and the baseblock 13. The upper plate, 0, of the standard has a longitudinal slot corresponding with that in the lower plate, 0, and it has near its lower end an integral stud, c", which projects laterally from one side thereof and occupies the vertical slot in the lower plate, 0, but can freely slide therein. A strong thumb-screw, c, is passed through the slot into the upper end of the lower plate, a, as clearly shown.

As thus far described it will be seen that the back rest standard can be vertically lengthened and the two plates firmly clamped, and that it can be tilted edgewise rearwardly, like many back-rest standards as heretofore constructed, and that it can also be tilted forward, so as to overlie the seat of the chair and be firmly locked or clamped at any desiredangle, and this capacity in a back-rest pivoted to the seat of a chair has never before been provided for, as I believe, and such a construction as affords said novel capacity for forward adjustment constitutes a characteristic feature of my'invention.

The back-pad D may be variously constructed as to material, form, and dimensions; but,

as a rule, it should not be large enough to be visible from the front when the chair is occupied. It is, however, essential as a part of am aware that back-pads have not only heretofore been pivoted to standards of some kind, but that they have also been capable of afixed angular adjustment with relation to their standards. As here shown, the arms f of the back-pad branch from a circular plate, f, and are integral therewith, and one face of said plate is radially. serrated for obtaining a good bearing-contact with a similarly-serrated face coincident therewith on the side of the upper end of the standard 0, the back-pad being locked in position by the strong thumb-screw g, which freely passes through a hole in the standard and is tapped into a hole in the backpad plate f, as clearly indicated. In some cases the locking device at the junction of the back-pad arm and standard can be dispensed with without departing from my invention; but in this case the top of the standard is preferably curved forward and the back-pad hinged directly thereto.

While I prefer the construction of the parts as thus far described, I have illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4t certain variations inconstrue tion which involve no departure from my in- Vention. The back-pad D and its connection with the standard 0, and also the pivotal base B, are as before described. Instead, however, of having the standard 0 constructed in two parts, it is here shown to be constructed in IIO one piece, with parallel ribs on one side thereof, and between which there is along slot, the space between the ribs and on each side of said slot serving as a bearing-surface for a clamping-block, h, having a circular and radially-serrated bearing-face for the coincident serrated face of the ear of the base-block. The thumb-screw (1 passes loosely through the clamping-block h, as clearly indicated in section in Fig. 4, and is tapped into the ear of the base-block, as before described, so that when said screw is tightly turned the standard is firmly clamped between the outer flange of the screw and the clamping-block, and the latter is also tightly clamped against the ear, thus providing for the vertical, the forward, and the rearward adjustment of the standard, and for firmly locking it in any desired position of adjustment.

WVith the two forms of pivotal connection shown, at the junction of the standard with the pivotal base, clamping-screws are shown, and, as a rule, they are to be preferred to any other variety of locking mechanism known to me; but other means may be employed for controlling the standard adjacent to the pivotal base without departure from my inven-' tion, and I have illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, an arrangement of locking mechanism which will serve a good purpose; and al though many other suitable contrivances might be illustrated by me, they are deemed unnecessary for the purposes of this specification. In this chair the standard 0 has its rear edge angularly serrated or toothed, as shown. The pivotal base-block has a slotted arm inclined slightly upward, and at its outer end it is pro vided with a slotted ear for the reception of the two pivoted pawls i, one above the other, and each engaging with the teeth of thestandard respectively above and below the arm of the base-block. Each pawl has a thumbpiece at i, and a spring, k, is arranged to bear against both pawls, and to .cause their ends to be forced forward against the stand 'ard. A bolt, Z, passes through the slotted is firmly held.

neck of the base, and, preferably, also through a rectangular block occupying the slot of the standard, and it serves as a pivotal bearing for the standard and as an abutment between which and the ends of the pawls the standard The upper pawl resists rearward pressure on the back-rest, and also, prevents it from falling downward through the base-block; but the lower pawl is relied upon for'preventing the standard from falling forward when inclined toward the front edge of the chair, and it also prevents the standard from being unduly lifted, and the two thumbpieces, when grasped by the hand, throw the pawls free from the standard when the latter is to be raised or inclined either to front or rear.

In illustrating the varied use of my chairs, in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, I have, .with one exception, selected the preferred construction may be used therewith.

shown in Fig. 1, and it will be readily obvious that either of the modifications shown might as well havebeen selected for that purpose.

In Fig. 8 the back-pad is depressed and advanced over the seat, affording proper depth or space between the front edge of the seat and the vertical plane occupied by the'loackpad to enable the child, as shown, to be comfortably seated, and to have a firm rearward support. The use of some one of the wellknown vertically adjustable foot-rests will always be advisable for children.

In Fig. 9 the back-pad is elevated and slightly inclined rearwardly to accommodate the man, as shown; but it is to be understood that when thus adjusted my chair resembles many prlor chairs containing a provision for rearward and Vertical adjustment of the back-rest.

In Fig. 10 the back-pad is somewhat elevated and advanced toward the front of the chair-seat, so as to properly support the back of the lady, as shown, and also so as to amply accommodate the bustle and dress below the pad and standard; thus obviating the undue crushing or rumpling of the dress, and preventing the bustle and dress from obstructing a comfortable contact of the back of the person with the pad.

In Fig. 11 the standard is in a-vert1cal position, the pad depressed, but turned upward so as to occupy a horizontal plane for serving as an elevated seat for the child, as shown, the chair-seat then serving as a footstool, thus enabling a child to be elevated for high-range 7 and when covered with drapery, as shown, it

serves as an arm-rest or standard for a per son in a standing position.

In the use of my chairs it will be understood that head-rests may be employed, as heretofore, and that they in no matter pertain to my. present invention. head-rests be applied to my back-pads, and

I deem it desirable that many of the well-known adjustable head-rests The importance of having a comparatively light but rigid standard for the backrest is obvious, and for that reason I prefer the use of plates applied edgewise, as shown.

It is to be understood that while I construct the entire chair substantially as shown, and make the'same a completed article of trade, I also make as aseparate article of salethe backrest embodying the pivotal base, the standard, and the back-pad, thus enabling any purchaser to apply it to any seat which he may have or desire to constructin accordance withhis particular desires.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a chair-seat, a pivotal baseblock rigidly secured at the rear edge of said seat, a rigid back-supporting standard pivoted at said base-block, and united and combined therewith and with the chair, substantially as described, to permit it to be vertically adj ustable, and also angularly adjustable forward of said base-block and overthe chair-seat, abackpad pivoted to said standard, and a locking device for rigidly connecting the standard to the base-block, whereby the back-pad can be 10 located and rigidly held in varied vertical planes betweenthe front and rear edges of the seat and correspondingly depressed or ele vated, as set forth.

WM. S. LISGOMB. \Vitnesses:

PHILIP F. LARNER, HOWELL BARTLE. 

